GENESIS: THE BEGINNING
CREATION, NATURE AND THE BREAKDOWN OF THE ENVIRONMENT Steve Hollinghurst
3GD M@STQ@K VNQKC HR L@FMHƥBDMS 6D B@M EDDK SG@S VD SQTKX řADKNMFŚ @LNMF the forests, mountains and rivers. The human connection with nature can be extraordinary and Genesis is the story of God’s connection to our living world. It was written in response to earlier Middle Eastern stories about creation. These stories involved a family of gods—one of whom defeats a dangerous chaos serpent that lived in the sea and divided its body to make the earth - and humanity, who are the God’s slaves. Genesis denies this story, and upholds that there is only one God who is responsible for all creation and God and humankind are partners in caring for our natural world. We are shown a caring God, who subdues the destructive chaos of creation, @MC SGDM ƥKKR SGD D@QSG VHSG SDDLHMF @MC UHAQ@MS KHED 'TL@MR @QD SGD OHMM@BKD of this and are made in God’s image. God invites us to continue this creative, nurturing work. These days we know that human activity has harmed the environment, and it is tempting to want to blame others for this. Christians are sometimes accused of being the culprits and some critics think the root source for today’s devastation starts with the command in Genesis to, ‘subdue the earth’. Sadly it is true that some who claim to follow the Sacred Text have exploited the earth, but that is not what the text actually teaches. The command to ‘subdue the earth’ is not about ripping the world apart. It is about humans, being wise guardians by subduing destructive forces and acting in protective and nurturing ways so that the earth can bring forth fruit to sustain life. The paradise image is of a natural garden—not a strip mine or deforested wasteland.
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